1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a storing and transporting rack having folding shelves for the stacked reception of flat components such as body panels.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
A storing and transporting rack of this type is known from German patent document no. 3,333,118 to Niederprum, the instant inventor and this document corresponds to U.S. Pat. No. 4,572,382. This reference is directed to a storing and transporting rack for flat components. A plurality of supports are arranged vertically on a base pallet which is formed in a known manner for convenient handling by fork-lift trucks. When the rack is loaded with flat components, the individual support arms assume a substantially horizontal supporting position. Each shelf or support arm assembly includes a support part or arm, a pivot pin, a control arm, a counterweight, and a locking arm. As one flat component is loaded onto the rack, the support arm assembly is rotated and thus the control arm interacts with the control arm of the shelf located above and causes that shelf to be swung into an inclined or intermediate position for receiving the next component. This process continues as each successive flat component is added to the rack. Since this apparatus includes a counterweight, the rack is only able to reliably operate when it is oriented in one specific way. This rack cannot be oriented at an angle because otherwise reliable pivoting of the support arms between the respective rest position and the extended or supporting position and vice versa will not always be guaranteed. This means that the support arms could extend into the path of the work pieces to be placed on the rack and thus prevent proper loading of the rack.
Another problem with this rack is that there is no way for rigidly maintaining those shelves or support arm assemblies carrying flat components in the completely swung out or extended position without placing all of shelves in the completely extended position. This is because the frame has a locking part in the form of a locking bar which is displaceable parallel to the support and when the locking bar is in the stop position, the position of the locking arms and thus the support arm assemblies is ensured. To this end, the locking bar is arranged inside the profiled cross-section of the support in such a way that during the transfer to the locking position, the locking bar controls an outward pivoting of the support arms in cooperation with their respective locking arm, which previously occupied their rest position since there was not a flat component resting on the support arm. When the locking bar occupies the locking position, all the support arms are moved into their completely swung-out supporting position, irrespective of whether a flat component has been placed on the support arms or not. Certain drawbacks in handling this type of rack can result.
Further, this device does not allow for the adjustability of the shelves and therefore the rack cannot receive work pieces of differing dimensions. The support arms have a cost-effective design which is made of bent wire components of round material and is integral with the control and locking arms as well as with the pivot pins. It is not readily possible to increase the distance which the pivot pins are set apart in the bearing slots to twice or three times its value, since then the pivoting of the support arms out of the rest position into the intermediate position can no longer be controlled by the control arms.